1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheels for vehicles intended for outdoor use upon roadways and pathways, and more particularly concerns wheels which support resilient tires as employed by motorized vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that wheels can impart desirable aesthetic effects to the vehicle with which they are associated. In the case of automobiles and trucks, decorative hub caps are often removably emplaced upon the center portion of the wheel that includes an axle which secures the wheel. In other instances, the entire central portion of the wheel structure, extending from the centered axle to the outer perimeter or tire-mounting rim may be of a specialized design having high aesthetic appeal.
In many instances, the wheel design is intended to be attractive particularly when the vehicle is motionless. However, wheel designs are also employed wherein a special visual effect is produced during motion of the vehicle. Such movement effects usually employ a hub cap that rotates by inertial action. However, wheels which contain interactive moving components may have durability limitations and may present safety concerns.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,012 relates to a wheel which produces a novel eccentric visual effect upon rotation. However, its specialized construction presents fabrication difficulties. In particular, it is not amenable to fabrication by casting or hot shaping techniques generally employed for the manufacture of wheels for automotive vehicles.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a wheel which will provide an unusual visual effect.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a wheel as in the foregoing object which secures a resilient tire.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a wheel of the aforesaid nature intended for use on vehicles such as automobiles and motorcycles.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a wheel of the aforesaid nature amenable to fabrication by way of metal casting methods.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.